Combination disconnecting-switch, fuse, choke-coil, and lightning-arrester.



L. A. THOMAS. COMBINATION DISCONNECTING SWITCH, FUSE, CHOKE COIL, AND LIGHTNI APPLICATION FILED OCT. 8. 1917.

1,287,138. Patented Dec. 10, 1915 NG ARRESTER.

UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

LUCIAN ALVAH' THOMAS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COMBINATION DISCONNECTING-SWITGH, FUSE, CHOKE-COIL, AND LIGHTNING- ,ARRESTER.

To' all w hom itmay concern Be it known that I, LUCIAN THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, re-

sidingat New York city, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination Disconnecting SWItCllBS, Fuses, Choke Gods. and Lightning-Arresters; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use-the same.

My invention relates to a combination disconnecting switch, fuse, choke coil and lightning .arrester.

One object of my invention is to provide a simple, cheap and efficient combination of a disconnecting switch, fuse, choke coil and lightning arrester so constructed that it shall be self-contained and capable of being readily mounted upon cross arms, walls of buildings or any other suitable supporting structure.

. A further object of my invention is to provide such a combination so constructed.

that some of the elements may be omitted without impairing the efficiency of the remaining elements.

A further object of my invention is to provide such a combination so constructed that a plurality of the combinations may be mounted in juxtaposition and operated simultaneously, if desired,

A further object of my invention is to so construct the combination that a minimum of insulators will be required.

necting switch, fuse, choke coil and lightning arrester in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is 'a side view of my improved combination disconnecting switch, fuse,

Specification f Letters Patent.

ALVAH Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

Application filed October 8, 1917. Serial No. 195,287.

choke coil and lightning arrester shown attached to a pair of cross arms, the latter being supported by a pole.

Fig. 2 is a view of the parts shown in Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow 2.

.Fig. 3 is a central section of the movable switch member and cooperating parts taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 are details of parts hereinafter referred to.

Fig. 6 is a detail View of the switch looking mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a view of the parts shown in Fig. 5. looking in the direction of the arrow 6.

In the drawings 10 represents a pole or a member of any suitable support to which are attached the cross arms 1111 by means of the lag bolts 1212. The base 13 is formed of the knee piece 14, the fiat plate 15 and the side pieces 1616. The side pieces 1616 are riveted to the knee piece 14: andthe plate 15 by means of rivets such as 17. The base 13 is secured to the cross arms 11-11 by means of lag bolts such as 18. Insulator supports 19 and 20, preferably formed of metal. are riveted or otherwise secured, respectivelv, to the knee piece 14 and the plate 15, and insulators 21 and 22 are secured, respectively, to the outer ends of the supports 19 and 20. A switch fork 23 is supported by the insulator 21 and a pair of switch blades 2% is supported by the insulator 22, the functions ofthe insulators 21 and 22 being to insulate, respectively, said fork and pair of blades from the supports 19 and 20.

The switch member 25 is formed of the insulating tube 26, the latter being provided at its lower end with the metallic fulcrum plug 27. The fulcrum plug is provided at its lower end with a flat portion 28 having the hole 29. The flat portion 28 fits snugly between the prongs 3030 of the fork 2". and the pin 31 passing through holes provided in said prongs and the hole 2 in the flat portion 28 serves to articulate the fulcrum plug 27 with the fork 23.

The tube 26 is provided at its upper end with the metallic knife .plug 32. the latter having at its upper end the knife portion 33, the inner edge of the knife portion 33 ,in any approved manner. Cylindrical portions of approxlmately the same diameteras the Outer diameter of the msulatmg'tube are provided, respectively, between the cylindrical portions 35 and 36 and the fiat por-' tion 28 and knife portion 33.

In order to secure the switch member 25 in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the following instru nentalities are provided .The switch lock 37 is composed of the two cars 3838 (see Figs. 3 and 7), adapted to loosely embrace the upper end of the knife portion 33, said portion and ears be ing provided with holes through which loosely passes the pin 39 which articulates the switch lock 37 to the' knife portion The cars 38 are provided with holes 4040 for the reception of the operating hook, as hereinafter described. The pin 39 is provided as at 41 with a stud shaped portion having the enlarged head 42 between which and the side of one ear 38 there is mounted the coil spring 43 havingthe spring arm 44, the latter resting between the pins 4545 which are secured in the switch lock 37.

Thebottom of the slot between the ears 38938 is cut so that it bears against the edge 46 of the knife portion 33 and thus forms a .stop for the switch lock 37, the pressure ofthe spring arm 44' holding said bottom against said edge, as shown in Figs.

1 and 6. The upper edge of the knife portion 33 is beveled as at 47 (see Fig. 6) so that the switch lock 37 may be moved by the operating hook into the position shown' dotted in Fig. 6 when the switch member is to be moved backward into the shown dotted in Fig. 1.

A switch latch 48 (see Fig. 6) is provided between the. switch jaws 2424, the upper edge of said latch beingbeveled as at 49 for a purpose hereinafter explained. The latch 48 is of such thickness that when the edge of the knlfeportion 33 is resting against same the outer face of the nose 50 of the switch lock 37 will be resting against the inner surface thereof. The end of the nose. 50 is beveled as at 51 for a purpose hereinafter explained.

()n the knife plug 32 there is mounted the petticoat insulator 52 which serves to shield the joint between said plug and the insulating tube 26 from the action of the weather, and just below ,the insulator 52 there is mounted the horn clamp 53. The connector clamp 54 is clamped around the fulcrum plug 27. Said clamp consists of the clampposition latter terminating in the boss 59, having a central hole in which is mounted one end of the connector 60, the latter being secured in place in said boss by means of the screw 61. In order to shield the joint between the fulcrum plug 27 and the tube 26 andthe connection between the clamp 54and the fulcrum plug 27, the petticoat insulator 62 is mounted upon thetube 26 with its lower edge just above the upper edge of the clamp 54.

Just above the upper edge of the insulator 62, a second horn gap clamp 63, similar to the horn gap clamp 53, is secured to the tube 26. The horn gap clamp 53 consists of the portions 64 and 65 which are secured together by means of thebolts 6666. The portion 64 is provided with the arm 67, the upper end of which is provided with* a threaded hole in'which is screwed the screw 68 and having the washer 69 mounted thereupon, between which and the arm 67 there is secured one end of the discharge horn 7 O.

The horn 70 is preferably formed of wire shaped as shown in Fig. 1 and having one end secured to the arm 67, as just described, and the other end secured by means of the screw 71 between the washer 72 and the arm 73 of the horn gap clamp 63..

The fuse 74 is placed within the insulating tube 26 and the upper end of said fuse is connected in any approved manner to the knife plug 32; the lower end of the fuse 74 passesthrough the hole 75 provided in the tube 26 just above the clamp 63 and serves to shield the connection between the fuse 74 and the latter and the hole 75 from the weather.

Just above the insulator 77 a second connector clamp 78, similar to the connector clamp 54, is secured to the tube 26 and the upper end of the connector 60 is secured in the boss of the clamp 78by means of the screw 79.

The choke coil 80 is wound. around the insulating tube 26 between the clamps 53 and 78, the upper end of said coil being secured to the former clamp by means of the bolt 81 and to the latter clamp by means of the bolt 82.

A metallic post 83 is riveted or otherwise secured in the horizontal member of the knee piece 14, said post supports the petticoat insulator 84 and the latter supports at its top the triangular dischar e horn 85, which is preferably formed 0 a metallic wire. cured to the horizontal member of the'knee piece 14 in any approved manner, as by A second discharge horn 86 is see means o f the bolt 87, and a resistance 88,

formed of any suitable material and having It is evident that all the line wires re-' The operation of my improved combina- ,tion disconnecting switch, fuse, choke coil and lightning arrester is as follows The switch member 25 is supposed to be in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with the switch lock 37 securing it in place by reason of the fact that the nose thereof is behind the switch latch 48. y

The line current then enters through the wire 90 to the switch blades 24, it then passes to the knife portion 33. thence to the knife plug 32, thence to'the fuse 74, thence to the clamp 63, thence through the discharge horn 70 to" the clamp 53, thence through the choke coil 80 to the clamp 78, thence through the connector to the clamp 5 .1, thence through the fulcrum plug 27 to the prongs 30 and thence through the wire 91 to the apparatus that is to be protected.

The path just described is the path followed by the line current under ordinary conditions, but should a lightning discharge enter by the wire 90 it will follow the same path until it reaches the discharge horn 70.

At this point there is a choice of paths for the high potential. high frequency light ning discharge-one across the gap between the horns and 85 and the other through the choke coil and the rest of the path above described to the wire 91 and thence to the apparatus to which '91 is connected.

But owing to the high impedence of the choke coil 80 to the high frequency lightning dis harge the latter jumps the gap between the horns l0 and and from the horn 85 the lightning discharge has a choice of two 'paths,one across the gap between the horns 85 and 86 to the ground wire 89 and the through the non-inductive resistance e "round wire 89.

tning will jump the ap be 70 and 85 anti in all probaoi 55' (he between the horns S5 and urrent being of much lower quency will be unable to s and even if it p the first gap, it will pass to the ground wire 89 through the resistance 88;

The resistance 88'is made of such a value that it will so limit the line current that might paSS the gap between the horns 70 and 85 that the line voltage would be unable to maintain an arc across said gap, v

When it is desired to use my improved combination disconnecting switch, fuse, choke coil and lightning arrester, the operator uses a pole provided with any approved form of hook, the latter of which he introduces within the holes i0 of the switch lock 37 and pulling downward upon the pole, lie moves said lock to the position shown dotted in Fig. 6, thus removing thc'nose 50 from engagement with the latch l8 and then a further downward pull upon the pole will move the switch member 25 to the position shown dotted in Fig. l or at any other angular position in a clock-wise direction therefrom that may be desired. I

When the switch member 25 is to be re stored to close the circuit, the hook is placed within the holes 40 as before described, and the pole moved upward. This will introduce the knife portion 33 within the jaws 24 and the beveled edge 51 of the switch lock 37 will strike the beveled edge 49 of the switch latch 48 and cause the latter to relieve slightly, thus permitting the nose 50 to pass over the latch 48 into the position shown in Fig. 8.

It is evident that certain of the features of my improved combination may be omitted and the others used alone. For instance, the

switch member 25 may be used alone as a switch without the use of the discharge horn 70, the fuse 74, the choke coil 80. the discharge horns 85 and 86 and the non-inductive resistance 88. l fhen these parts are omitted the switch member'will act simply as a disconnecting switch.

Ur the switch member 25 may be fixed per manently in position and the rest of the combination used as a lightning arrester combined with the choke coil and fuse.

Ur from the combination noted in the las paragraph, the choke coil and fuse may be omitted.

Thus it will be evident that my improved combination may be used as illustrated in the drawings or separate features thereof may be used alone. if desired. or in other combinations.

claim 1. The combination with a switch memher comprising an insulating tube and a knife plug secured in one end thereof. of a clamp upon the ext ior of said t be, a fuse e and havl one end nd the other end cona second clamp upon horn secured pee gas

2. The combination with a switch member comprising an insulating tube and a fulcrum plug and'a knife plug secured in the ends thereof, of a choke coil and discharge horn mounted upon the exterior of said tube, one end of each of said coil and horn being connected together and the other ends thereof respectively being connected to said fulcrum and knife plugs.

3. The combination with a switch member comprising an insulating tube and a fulcrum crum plug and a knife plug secured in the ends thereof, a onnectorclamp secured to said fulcrum plug, a second connector clamp memes secured to said tube, a connector secured in said clamps, a pair of horn clamps secured to said tube, a discharge horn securedto said clamps, a connection between said second connector clamp and one of said horn clamps and a fuse connected between the other horn clamp and said knife plug. 1 5. The combination with a base, of a pair of insulators supported thereby, a' pair of prongs supported by one of said insulators, a switch member fulcrumed to said prongs, a pair of jaws supported by the other of said insulators and adapted to receive said member, a horn supported by said member, a third insulator supported by said base, 'a

second horn supported by said third insulater. and located in juxtaposition to saidfirst-named horn.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

LUCIA'N ALVAH THOMAS. I 

